(a) The mayor and the council shall use the procedures of this chapter in naming or renaming any public property which is owned and controlled by the city. Upon the request of the council or upon the mayor’s own initiative, the mayor shall, subject to confirmation by the council, appoint a five-member commission of city residents to review and suggest names for specific property. Said commission shall include at least one member of the seated city council. The term of each commissioner shall end upon final action of the council under KMC 2.100.020, but any such commissioner may be reappointed to subsequent commissions for the naming of other property. The commission shall consider all names submitted to it by the mayor and council as well as names submitted by the public and commission members. The commission shall consider:

(1) Names which relate to the location, environment, promotion, purpose or design of the property;

(2) Names which honor historical events or cultural influences which have been particularly significant to the city of Ketchikan;

(3) Names which honor prominent persons who have made particularly important and lasting contributions to the city of Ketchikan, state of Alaska, the nation, or the world;

(4) Names which do not lend themselves to confusion, duplication, or difficulty in identifying the property.

(b) Public input shall be obtained by the commission by the placement of paid advertisements in the media for at least two consecutive weekends with a request for suggested names and the rationale or supporting documentation.

(c) The commission shall endeavor to submit to the council not less than two recommended names and a report stating the reasons for its recommendation. (Ord. 1327 § 1, 1995)

Upon receipt of the commission’s recommendation and report the council shall choose one of the commission’s recommended names or shall reject both names and either refer the issue back to the commission or determine not to name the property. The council shall not assign to any property a name which has not been recommended by the commission. Upon the council’s selection of one of the commission’s recommended names the property shall be so named. (Ord. 1327 § 1, 1995)

The provisions of KMC 2.100.020 do not apply to the naming of a property when a person or organization that donates the property or that donated significant money for the acquisition of the property requests that the property be granted a certain name. The council may grant such a request without the recommendation of a commission. Any property which has been named prior to the effective date of this chapter shall retain such name until it is changed through the process set forth in this chapter. Nothing in this chapter in any way provides any person or organization with the right to have any city property named in their honor or to continue to have it so named. The council may at any time change the name of any city property by requesting the mayor to appoint the commission and begin the process described in KMC 2.100.010. (Ord. 1327 § 1, 1995)

This chapter shall not apply to the naming of any street, road or public way over which the Ketchikan Gateway Borough’s platting board has jurisdiction. This chapter shall not extend to the naming of any property which is not within the ownership or control of the city of Ketchikan. (Ord. 1327 § 1, 1995)